Casablanca — King Mohammed VI performed the ritual Eid Al-Adha sacrifice on Wednesday at the Royal Palace in Rabat, after performing the Eid prayer at the Ahl Fès Mosque in the Mechouar.
The ceremony was broadcast live on national television. It showed the King, dressed in traditional Moroccan attire, carrying out the rite in line with Islamic tradition.
The monarch sacrificed two rams. He slaughtered the first himself, while the mosque’s imam slaughtered the second, following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, who offered two sacrificial animals during Eid Al-Adha, one for himself and his family, and one for the wider Muslim community.
This year’s Eid also marked the return of the ritual sacrifice for Moroccan households. Last year, Moroccans were asked not to perform the sacrifice because of difficult climate and economic conditions, after years of drought had affected the national livestock herd and pushed prices higher. King Mohammed VI carried out the sacrifice on behalf of the people at the time.
Reuters reported that Morocco’s cattle and sheep herds had fallen by 38% since 2016, while rainfall was 53% below the 30-year average.
In Morocco, Eid Al-Adha, also known as Eid El Kebir, is one of the most important religious and family occasions of the year. Families who are able to do so traditionally buy a sheep or ram, perform the sacrifice after the Eid prayer, and share the meat with relatives, neighbors, and people in need.
The day is also marked by family visits, new clothes for children, sweets prepared in advance, and dishes closely tied to the holiday.
The return of the sacrifice this year came after a difficult 2025 Eid, when the usual scenes of sheep markets, rooftop preparations, and family gatherings around the slaughter were largely absent.
Morocco World News is also on X — check out our latest posts now! Get MWN on iOS and Android for instant access to breaking news.
